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Colorado’s mental health facilities needs nurses. Will a $14,000 signing bonus work?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:11 GMT

As Colorado continues to grapple with its state behavioral health crisis — too many in need, without enough to give it — state officials are hoping $14,000 will help strengthen the ranks of needed nurses.The Colorado Department of Human Services is offering that as a hiring bonus to people willing to work in mental health facilities in Pueblo and the Fort Logan facility in Denver. They’re trying to fill some 200 positions that officials said opened as workers pursued pandemic-era pay increases elsewhere and exited due to burnout.“Because of the nursing shortage, we’ve had 100 beds available, but they’re not open,” Leora Joseph, director of the Office of Behavioral Health within the Colorado Department of Human Services. “This isn’t a bed crisis, it’s a staffing crisis.”In 2022, for example, Joseph said they would lose multiple nurses every month. They were able to hire just four replacements. To compensate, they relie...

Zach Allen’s relationship with Vance Joseph sparked Broncos reunion: “I’m a big believer in his coaching style.”

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:11 GMT

In defensive end Zach Allen’s first time speaking to reporters since joining the Broncos in March, it was evident that his decision to leave the Arizona Cardinals and journey to Denver was based on familiarity.Yes, a $45.75 million contract ($32.5 million guaranteed) would encourage anyone to move. But Allen’s relationship with Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, whom he played for in Arizona, was the tipping point in signing a three-year deal.“I think Vance is one of the best coaches in the NFL,” Allen said after Broncos OTAs Thursday.The hiring of Joseph in February after four seasons as the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator might have sparked bad memories of his two-year head coaching stint in Denver, where he went 11-21 before getting fired after the 2018 season.But despite Joseph leaving the Broncos on sour terms, his return to orchestrate the defense came with insurance that kicked in a month later when Allen reunited with his former coach, whom he considers a “go...

Letters: Brough or Johnston? Who should lead the city of Denver?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:11 GMT

Weighing in on the runoff election for Denver mayorRe: “Brough and Johnston: The runoff candidates,” May 21 news storiesThank you for publishing the side-by-side summaries of the backgrounds of the two mayoral runoff candidates, which presented sufficient contrast to present a clear choice, in my view. Kelly Brough — a woman of humble beginnings, worked her way through public colleges; found a full-time career encompassing a breadth of City of Denver jobs, including working up to and serving as Chief of Staff for Mayor John Hickenlooper, followed by a lengthy stint as CEO of the Denver Chamber of Commerce.After reading that Mike Johnston was a born Vail aristocrat; exclusive private school grad; and spent a great deal of his recent past as an adviser in politics, with eight years as a part-time state legislator (120 days/yr. in session) — followed by failed campaigns running for governor and for U.S. Senate, my voting choice is made, regardless of which candi...

Russia says drones damaged Moscow buildings in pre-dawn attack, blames Ukraine

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:11 GMT

A rare drone attack jolted Moscow Tuesday morning, lightly damaging some buildings and leading to the evacuation of others, while Russia pursued its relentless bombardment of Kyiv with a third assault on the city in 24 hours.The Russian defense ministry said five drones were shot down and the systems of three others were jammed, causing them to veer off course. It called the incident a “terrorist attack” by the “Kyiv regime.”The attack brought the war to civilians at home in Russia’s capital for the first time. It caused “insignificant damage” to several buildings, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Two people received medical attention for unspecified injuries but did not need hospitalization, he said in a Telegram post. Residents of two high-rise buildings damaged in the attack were evacuated, Sobyanin said.Andrei Vorobyov, governor of the wider Moscow region, said some of the drones were “shot down on the approach to Moscow.”Ukraine made no direct comment on the...

Walters: How will California deal with ongoing budget deficits?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:11 GMT

A little more than two weeks remain before the June 15 constitutional deadline for enacting a 2023-24 state budget.It’s as certain as anything in politics can be that the Legislature will pass something it calls a budget. If lawmakers missed the deadline, they could lose their paychecks.It’s equally certain that whatever they enact will not be the final plan for the 2023-24 fiscal year that begins July 1. Due to declines in revenue, the state faces not only a multi-billion-dollar deficit in the forthcoming year but the likelihood of continuing gaps for several years thereafter.There is, moreover, neither consensus on the scope of the deficit nor agreement on how the governor and legislators respond. Meanwhile, those in the Capitol are besieged by pleas by those with stakes in the budget to protect their projects and programs and demands for even greater allocations.When Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced his first version of the budget in January, he said the state had a $22.5 deficit, an...

Opinion: What Gen Z teens like me are getting wrong about mental health

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:11 GMT

I grew up with a mom who’s a therapist, which meant that feelings moved through the air in our home like oxygen. It’s not that we talked about feelings all the time, or that I’d say something about my day and she’d ask, “How do you feel about that?”Instead, it was more that no matter what I felt — sad, worried, mad, confused, lonely, whatever — it was never something to fix or make disappear. The world didn’t stop when I was unhappy or uncomfortable. It was never a big deal. I’d just have to feel whatever I felt — good or bad — and that, my mom believed, was the key to emotional health.But this isn’t what I saw in many of my friends’ families. Ironically, it was homes with no therapists in them where feelings were constantly monitored. If friends were upset that a teacher gave them a bad grade, or they were left out of a social event, their parents would spring into action. First, they’d try to fix it — by talking to the teacher, or calling another parent — and if that didn’t work, ...

¿De qué señalan a Laura Sarabia, la jefa de Gabinete de Petro? La Fiscalía investiga presunto abuso de poder

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:11 GMT

(CNN Español) — El fiscal general de Colombia, Francisco Barbosa, anunció este domingo que su institución abrió el sábado una investigación contra Laura Sarabia, jefa de Gabinete del presidente Gustavo Petro, por presunto abuso de poder sobre la exniñera de su hijo, quien denunció en una entrevista periodística haber sido presionada luego de que la funcionara reportara la desaparición de dinero de su vivienda.La exempleada de Sarabia, Marelbys Meza, aseguró en una entrevista con la revisa Semana publicada el sábado haber sufrido irregularidades tras el supuesto hurto de US$ 7.000 de un maletín que se encontraba en el apartamento de la funcionaria. Dicho robo habría ocurrido el 29 de enero.Según la versión de Meza, el 30 de enero fue llevada a un edificio al frente de la Casa de Nariño, sede del Gobierno, donde fue interrogada por los hechos y además sometida a una prueba de polígrafo, al parecer por personal perteneciente a la protección presidencial.“Me preguntaron acerca de ...

Prosecutors: Man who rammed U-Haul near White House sought to end US democracy

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:11 GMT

The 19-year-old man charged with crashing a U-Haul truck into security barriers near the White House last week had plans of overthrowing the U.S. government, according to federal prosecutors.Those plans included writing a speech to announce the end of democracy, prosecutors said.Sai Varshith Kandula, of Missouri, is due in federal court Tuesday for a detention hearing afternoon, although his public defender is seeking a postponement, according to court filings.Friday, in a motion arguing that Kandula should remain in custody until trial for depredation of property of the U.S., prosecutors said his goal was to seize power of the government, which could involve killing the president.When he was approached by U.S. Park Police after ramming the box truck into security bollards along Lafayette Square on May 22, Kandula had unfurled a Nazi flag.In the filing, prosecutors said after his arrest. Kandula told U.S. Secret Service investigators he intended to “get to the White House, sei...

MediWound: Q1 Earnings Snapshot

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:11 GMT

YAVNE, Israel (AP) — YAVNE, Israel (AP) — MediWound Ltd. (MDWD) on Tuesday reported a loss of $3.7 million in its first quarter.On a per-share basis, the Yavne, Israel-based company said it had a loss of 44 cents.The results fell short of Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of four analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for a loss of 31 cents per share.The developer of treatments for burns and hard-to-heal wounds posted revenue of $3.8 million in the period, which also did not meet Street forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $5.3 million._____This story was generated by Automated Insights (http://automatedinsights.com/ap) using data from Zacks Investment Research. Access a Zacks stock report on MDWD at https://www.zacks.com/ap/MDWDSource

US, EU criticize Polish plans for law that could keep opposition from holding office

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:50:11 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — The United States and the European Union’s top justice official on Tuesday criticized Polish plans for a law that could keep political opponents from holding public office without full legal recourse, and the EU threatened to take measures if it became fully clear such a law would undermine democratic standards. Polish President Andrzej Duda said early this week he would sign a bill that critics view as a tool to remove from political life the opponents of the ruling party — mostly notably opposition leader Donald Tusk, the former EU Council president. Parliament last Friday already approved the bill, which was proposed by the ruling conservative Law and Justice party as the country heads toward a parliamentary election in the autumn.Experts say the law violates the Polish Constitution and the opposition has called on Duda to reject it.“The U.S. Government is concerned by the Polish government’s passage of new legislation that could be misused to interfere with...